1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lower limb protecting airbag apparatus which is provided in front of the lower limbs of an occupant seated in a seat and which is operated at a collision between vehicles to be able to protect the lower limbs and is configured so that an expanded airbag is arranged in front of the lower limbs.
2. Related Art
There has been a conventional airbag apparatus enabled to protect the lower limbs of an occupant seated in a seat, for example, a knee protecting airbag apparatus enabled to appropriately protect the knees of an occupant seated in a seat by an airbag even when the occupant changes his anteroposterior arranged position (see, e.g., JP-A-2004-352037).
This airbag apparatus is configured so that the airbag and a device for expanding the airbag are fixed to arranged positions thereof, that a support member for supporting the expanded airbag is provided separately therefrom, and that even when the positions of the lower limbs of an occupant change backward and forward, the lower limbs of the occupant are protected by moving the support member itself so as to support the front side of the airbag and as to assure the cushioning effect of the airbag.
However, in the conventional lower limb protecting airbag apparatus, the expansion inflation completing position of the airbag is set according to a vehicle in which the airbag apparatus is mounted. In a case where the type of a vehicle is changed, or where the design of the surrounding member, for example, an instrument panel is changed, it is sometimes necessary to change the mounting positions of the airbag apparatus and the supporting member and the design of the expansion completing shape of the airbag. Consequently, the conventional lower limb protecting airbag apparatus cannot easily deal with the changes of the type of the vehicle, in which the airbag apparatus is mounted, and the design of the surrounding member.